Welcome to the web site for Aaron Collins

Hello, my name is Aaron Collins and welcome to my web site!

I specialize in web design and programming and have over 10 years experience in building web sites, including online web applications that make the experience simple and fun for the end user. My goal is to listen to you, and build exactly what you need to run your business online.

Click here to contact me

Below you will find a description of my skills and previous work:

· HTML programming - experience building static and dynamic Web pages incorporating different languages and graphics into the HTML framework.
· PHP programming - experience building shopping carts, Web site administrative tools, and Voice Web applications.
· MySQL and MS SQL Server - experience building applications with database connectivity using Java and PHP on both Tomcat/Linux and IIS Web servers.
· JavaScript - experience building client side form validation and cookies.
· Java programming - experience building database connectivity using JDBC and SQL, children's learning applications, and painting programs.
· VoiceXML - experience building voice recognition Web applications and multi-modal speech applications with Flash and other Web interfaces.
· Java Server Pages - experience building Voice Web applications, and Web admin pages using JSP and SQL.
· XML - experience using XML and Java to screen scrape data from HTML source files using both DOM and SAX formats.
· Photoshop - experience with detailed photo enhancing, touchups, filters, effects, kerning, tracking, and Web graphic creation.
· Flash - experience with creating frame by frame animations or tweening, tracing, and ActionScript for database driven web applications.
· Dreamweaver - experience building simple Web sites and incorporating Flash animations.

GoKnobs.com, Inc.
http://www.goknobs.com
I built this full featured e-commerce application using PHP and MySQL. Duties included: Creating grid-style display of 16 products to keep each page within the fold; Complete searching capabilities for front-end shopping cart and back-end admin tools; creating category logic and administration; admin pages to update products, look and feel, product associations, view orders, searching and sorting of records; credit card validation with Goemerchant.com; extending the search pages next and previous system; provided all customer support, maintenance, and documentation.

Cathy Faulkner Voice Overs
http://www.cathyfaulkner.com
Worked with existing web design to implemented database-driven content using XHTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL. Created a content management system to manage the web site look and feel, upload images and other media files, resize and constrain image proportions to fit current web design, and update copy for the pages throughout the site. Created graphics for the web site and email newsletter templates using Flash and Photoshop. Managed all project details, including regular correspondence with client. Provided all customer support, maintenance, and documentation

Sundance Cinemas
http://sundancecinemas.com
Worked with project manager, designer, and lead programmer to implement web applications based on project prototype/wireframes. Built web pages with database connectivity using XHTML, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS and Photoshop. Created additional administrative pages using proprietary Content Management System (CMS). Cut-up existing Photoshop comps into XHTML/CSS.

PraiseReports.org
http://www.praisereports.org
Worked with a friend from church to design a web site to display testimonies. Created all graphics and logo design. Built web site using XHTML, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and Photoshop. Provided all customer support, maintenance, and documentation.

Speaklink, Inc.
Duties included voice and Web application development of the following: I built multi-modal VoiceXML applications that output different Flash animations based on the caller's input. I used XML and Java to screen scrape data from HTML source files, also using XML for easy data storage alternatives, using both DOM and SAX formats. I built a licensing Web application in JSP and SQL that allowed Speaklink's products to automatically register online, including Web admin pages to edit licensing information for each user. I built the database connectivity into the Speaklink's Voice Application Server (VAS) using JDBC to connect to both MySQL and MS SQL Server databases.

Jungle Studios
I built this multi-modal Voice Web application, which uses PHP and VoiceXML to connect your voice to a MySQL database to retrieve drink recipes, and store other information for a bartender program, using a regular telephone. Additional features include: *random sponsor generator, *additional info for that sponsor, *recipe choices, and *joke of the day. You can also go to the corresponding Web page, which displays your current recipe results being read over the phone. Jungle Studios helped with application design, call flow, and the recorded sound files.

Dyer & Primont, Attorneys at Law
http://www.dyerpriomont.com
Moved existing web design to a dynamically driven web page model using PHP, MySQL, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Photoshop. Built a custom content management system (CMS) that allows the office staff to easily update web page content and images. Provided all customer support, maintenance, and documentation.

Moccasin Lake Foundation
http://www.moccasinlake.org
This is a site I've built using PHP and MySQL. The features currently in place are an admin page for viewing new grant proposals and a holding page for accepted grants. Email is sent to applicants based on activity by the members, if a member checks out a proposal, an email is sent to the applicant to let them know their proposal is now under review. Web Admin Page to upload and manage various pdf and doc files, then provide a link for the members to view the uploaded files. Web Admin pages allowing the front desk secretary to update the Web site's text and images.

Imaging-Resource.com
http://www.imaging-resource.com/CAMDB/camera_finder.php
This is a camera finder and comparison program I built using PHP and MySQL. The database has around 200 columns for the camera specs. After the user has done their camera search, they can then compare up to 16 cameras at once. Because of the large abount of data being processed for all these columns, limitations had to be set on the number of comparison cameras. I also built a content management system for adding/modifying/deleting cameras in the database.

LatinoCravings.com
http://www.latinocravings.com
This project first started as a shopping cart built using the Miva administrative tools that were provided by the customer's host. I then rebuilt the store using PHP code from The Exchange Project, now renamed Open Source Commerce. Duties included transferring all product information from the Miva shopping cart to the MySQL database. Connecting the UPS servlet to PHP code to allow real time shipping quotes. Incorporating the existing brand and identity into the new PHP shopping cart. Photographing all of the images, cropping, and adding shadow effect.

DavidLanz.com
http://www.davidlanz.com
This is a Flash animation I created using the onionskin tool to trace various shapes and assemble the swami for the "The Mystic's Closet" project.

I was also asked to rebuild the current newsletter the site was running. The flatfile database required the administrator to manually delete entries from the file containing ~1500 users. I wrote a new mailing list program in PHP and MySQL. The features include the ability to send the newsletter to every user on the list, or based on where the user lives. Also allows the user to remove opt-out from the list using a link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Pear Tree Systems, Inc.
http://www.StretchToner.com
This is a site I've designed and currently maintain. I also recently launched this site as an affiliate through bCentral's Click Trade. I created their shopping cart using store-building tools from Free Merchant.

Lanz Massage
http://lanzmassage.com
This is a site I designed and currently maintain. The site was one of my first projects in web design. I used Microsoft Publisher and Photoshop. Provided all customer support, maintenance, and documentation.

Acorn Web Programming
Java Applications
I wrote various Java programs showing the versatility and wide scope of Java's features during the early years of Java's introduction to the programming community in 1994. Java was my first computer progamming language and taught me the basics of object-oriented design. My work was voluntary and included Java programs for a craps game, a children's arithmetic game, a charting tool, and a drawing program that also runs as a standalone application.